The present invention relates to gun stocks used with shoulder-fired weapons.
Since the advent of shoulder-fired weaponry, such as guns, the use of a stock for holding the barrel and firing mechanisms of the weapon has been a standard practice. Typically, a stock made of wood, plastic, or metal extended rearward from the firing mechanism some finite distance creating the “gun butt” or “butt stock” portion. This butt stock portion was used to stabilize the weapon. The user would press the butt stock into his or her shoulder while taking aim and firing the weapon.
Standard rifles and other shoulder-fired weapons customarily have stocks with a butt portion located a particular distance from the trigger. That distance is termed “pull length” or “length of pull.” The length of pull of most rifles is based on the arm length of a typical user. Problems may arise when the user's size varies from the typical user. With a smaller than typical user, the distance to the trigger is too great when the rifle is braced properly on the shoulder. Variation from correct fit results in increased likelihood of unsafe and inaccurate operation of the weapon.
An adjustable butt stock addresses the problem of variance from typical length of pull. There are various collapsible style butt stocks (U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,462,091; 3,256,632; 3,618,249; 5,305,539) and telescoping style butt stocks (U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,570,162 and 6,560,911). These butt stocks either fail to address all length of pull needs as they adjust only in steps or they limit other shoulder pad adjustments because the length of pull adjustment uses more than a single support running from the receiver to the shoulder pad. With more than a single support, the user may not pivot the shoulder pad out of the forward-rearward axis. The forward-rearward axis is a conceptual line running rearward from the flash hider, through the barrel, the receiver, and out the back of the butt stock. Typically, the shoulder pad on a butt stock has a concavity where the shoulder pad is intended to rest against the shoulder of the user. The shoulder pad has a concavity to help the user keep the butt stock against the shoulder. A user could speak of the radius from the forward-rearward axis to the center of the concavity of the shoulder pad. For reasons of comfort and accuracy a user might desire a shoulder pad adjustment transverse to the forward-rearward axis. A user might also want to adjust the radius from the forward-rearward axis to the center of the concavity of the shoulder pad. The present invention addresses these and other needs.
The present invention finds particular application in conjunction with firearms, such as a Fusil Automatique Leger rifle, commonly known as a FAL rifle. However, the present invention may be used on many other shoulder fired weapons of various types, makes and models. Therefore, this disclosure should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention to any specific rifle application.
From the early days of firearm history, gunsmiths designed the butt stock to provide for comfortable and secure holding of the shoulder-fired weapon during use. Many butt stocks took a traditional butt stock and added storage compartments. At the same time, the number of appliances that a user might wish to attach to his or her rifle has mushroomed to include sights, telescopic sights, lights, sensors, beacons, radios, global positioning devices, and more. To accommodate those additional appliances, gunsmiths incorporated various methods of adhering those appliances to the shoulder-fired weapon. Along the top of the shoulder-fired weapon, manufacturers added rail systems to which the appliances might be attached.
With advances in the quality of shoulder-fired weapons, the need for butt stock storage of maintenance equipment was reduced. Many modern shoulder-fired weapons have no storage in the butt stock.
Currently, the United States government and other western countries use a variation of the ARMALITE Rifle, model number 15, known as the AR15. In the United States arsenal, the improved version of the AR15 is the U.S. rifle Model 16, known as the M16. Also used in the U.S. arsenal is a carbine rifle using the AR15 characteristics but in a shorter form. This carbine is known as the U.S. carbine Model No. 4, known as the M4.
The M16 has a trap door in the butt stock for the rifle's cleaning kit.
The M4 carbine has no compartment in the butt stock. The M4 has a smaller butt stock that is collapsible making the firearm's overall length smaller. Making a firearm smaller is beneficial to help the shooter move safely and comfortably in confined areas. The M4 butt stock is not only collapsible, but also includes various intermediate extended positions providing for an adjustable overall length of the firearm. The M4's butt stock telescopes along the carbine's receiver extension that protrudes from the rear of the carbine. The M4 butt stock may lock onto the receiver extension in positions providing adjustable length. The multiplicity of adjustments helps various sized users by helping the user to use the firearm. The multiplicity of adjustments also helps the use in shoulder mounting the firearm over gear and in any condition in which the user may find himself or herself.
The M4 collapsible stock may be too short, even where fully extended, and, as a result, uncomfortable against the face of a user on the cheek rest. Current military butt stocks, in both the rifle and carbine configurations, require little from butt stock design. As such, other than comfort and strength, the butt stock has few other requirements.
Since the earliest shoulder-fired firearms, the butt stock existed to support the user in aiming the weapon, to transfer recoil force from the weapon to the shoulder of the user, and to aid in the comfort of the user.
Modern combat firearms require a platform for a variety of appliances. Manufacturers developed mounting platforms to retrofit to existing firearms. Also, manufacturers developed an integral mounting surface into the firearm's construction. Initially, these mounting platforms were located near the muzzle end of the firearm and had the ability to mount a number of accessories, such as lighting systems, night vision hardware, thermal imaging systems, surveillance equipment and hardware to aid the user in achieving the best accuracy possible. More recently, those platforms have been added to the length of the firearm to accommodate more appliances.
The addition of appliances has created some problems. The area for placement of mounting hardware is limited. The mounting of platforms at the muzzle end left the muzzle uncomfortably heavy. More weight on the muzzle can make aiming more difficult as the rifle is more difficult to raise, take aim, and keep the target in the sight through firing. The appliances may require connections to equipment off the rifle to function. The appliance can be too large or complex to mount solely to the muzzle end of the firearm. The component may need to be dispersed throughout the rifle to balance the weight across the rifle. In sum, having additional locations for appliances is advantageous to assure users of places for important appliances while balancing weight and other conditions.
A disadvantage of the storage butt stocks is that they are necessarily larger so as to provide storage space. The large size goes against the goal of having a small weapon that can be taken through tight environments. Often times a storage area will add noise to the weapon. Imagine a butt stock with storage for batteries or bullets. Assuming that they are not tightly packed, the butt stock might well rattle. In a dangerous condition where the user is surrounded by enemies, the noise from the material in the butt stock could reveal the user's location and result in great harm. Where the user is hunting, the additional noise could scare away his or her prey.
On occasion, pieces are lost off of a rifle so the preferred embodiment has contoured side edges which may be used as a comfortable cheek rest even where the cheek rest is missing.